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WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 16, 2006

Marcos Baghdatis

CINCINNATI, OHIO

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What was hurting you? It looked like your right thigh in the second set.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Thigh, knee. But it came from the thigh, so...

Q. What do you think happened? Did you maybe sprain it?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, contract, the muscles contracted. That's what the physio said. So I will work out on it after speaking to you guys.

Q. Your muscles leading down to the knee?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, yeah.

Q. The physio did a good job and you did a good job because you started the third set very well, didn't you?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, I started the third set very well, and second set I had a little of the physical down. I felt it was hot and the conditions were not easy, so lost a bit of concentration there.
And I wanted to start well in the third and keep the match going, and I played really good. I broke him early and then Gael just, I don't know, just made a lot of mistakes after 3-Love. Just was not there mentally and physically.

Q. Was that the most important part of the match, the start of the third set?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, I think. And winning the tiebreak, of course. It was not easy. Gael was playing really good. He was coming up, because I started the match -- he didn't start the match so good, I started the match okay. So I wasn't serving so well, especially first serves. Percentage was I think very, very bad. So I was happy to win the first set and then wanted to start the third set pretty good, and that's what I did.

Q. Losing 6-2 in the first tiebreaker, you faced five set points. How did you overcome that?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I don't know. I just -- I don't know. Just came along. I mean, I played every point, played a great passing, and first set point served good. Had a backhand winner down the line, forehand winner down the line, and then he didn't put the first serve in. We played the point, and I finished with a great volley.
So I don't know. Then I don't even want to tell you the whole thing (smiling).

Q. He is a fantastic runner, isn't he, he gets a lot of stuff back? How much pressure does that put on you?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: A lot. It's the first time I'm playing him in a match, so I just needed to see how he's playing, and he's serving big. When he's serving big, it's tough to break him, and on your serves he all the times put the return in and just runs everywhere. So it's a lot of pressure I can say.
But once when you find the rhythm and the game, I mean, you feel that you're the boss in the court, so that's important. So that's what made the difference today. I started well, like I said, in the third set, and then I felt the boss and I felt that I can do what I want.

Q. When you play well, you play really well, you keep up a very high standard for a long time. Are you getting close to that now, do you think?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Sorry?

Q. When you play well, you play very well and you get on a roll, play to a very high standard for a long time. Are you getting close to that situation now?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: You mean...?

Q. You can get on a roll and play tremendously well.
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, that's for sure. But what I'm trying to do is play every week like that, like what is Roger and Nadal doing. But it's not easy, as you see, because everybody's playing really good, and all the players are tough, especially in these conditions; it's hot. It's amazing. I mean, it's so tough. What I'm trying to do is play every match to win it, but I cannot play good every day. I think it's impossible. It's impossible for the moment. The most important thing is to try to find a solution even when you are playing bad.
I mean, today I didn't play great tennis, and especially in the first and second I was, like I said, serving really bad. First serve was terrible. But, I mean, the most important thing, I got through it and next day is another day.
So keep on work on my serve, and the most important thing is to be ready for the US Open. So, I mean, just play and try to find a solution, that's the most important thing.

Q. Your muscles in your thigh, had that hurt before today, or did it just happen?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, today, in the first set.

Q. Did it feel a lot better after you had the treatment?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Yeah, much better.

Q. It didn't bother you at the end of the match?
MARCOS BAGHDATIS: No, no.

End of FastScripts...

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